A Tail of Stockholme Syndrome
by moonshroom420
Summary: Pirate/Mermaid AU Solangelo. Purpose misspell. Stockholme Syndrome: falling for/sympathising with your kidnapper. - Nico di Angelo never imagined he'd be captured by pirates. Will Solace never imagined he'd actually find a merman. When sea hero and sea scurvy find themselves on opposite ends of the scale, a dose of Stockholme Syndrome vows to bring them together.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1:**

**Flying Merman**

Nico was wondering what the big-ass ship that was parked in his surface area was still doing there.

Don't get him wrong, he liked having it nearby, but he was starting to wonder why it hadn't sailed off yet. Usually every ship that came near Half-Blood City didn't stay longer than a day, anchoring for the night before moving off in the morning. But this boat, _The Apollo, _had been floating above the underwater metropolis for at least a week.

Only Nico and his friends bothered with it. They were intrigued by the human ship, swimming around it and peeking in the submerged portholes. Every time they looked there was something different in the rooms. One day, Nico's friend Percy had suggested they make a hole in one of the windows and go in for a proper explore. Percy's girlfriend, Annabeth, had told him he was a giant Seaweed Brain and that the boat would sink if they smashed a window in it.

For clarity reasons, Nico, Percy and Annabeth were both mermen and mermaid respectively.

Nico di Angelo, son of Hades – one of the Big Three who ruled Half-Blood City with his colleagues – was a beautiful merman by social standards. He was pale as moonlight with dark brown eyes and inky black hair that floated around his head in a dark halo. His head was ringed with a circlet of black pearls and grey metal, signifying him as a Prince of the Three. His tail, ear and elbow fins were as black as his hair and glittered like stolen onyx and silver whenever sunlight hit the scales. He was thin but muscly, as were all the mermen and maids that attended Chiron's Academy, where they were taught how to handle weapons, harness their powers, and went on quests to kill the monsters that threatened the city. They were educated in the language of humans.

Nico was technically only a merteen, having existed for just sixteen years. Percy and Annabeth were a year older at seventeen.

Percy's tail was as sea-green as his eyes and could easily blend in with the seaweed farms. He had messy black hair and a nice tan that made him beyond popular at the Academy. He was a son of Poseidon, another one of the Big Three, along with Hades and another merman named Zeus. He was funny and nice, but an idiot a lot of the time. That's why he and Annabeth were perfect for each other.

Annabeth was a pretty mermaid with a borderline grey/light blue tail and piercing grey eyes. Her hair was blond and curly and she was the smartest around after her mother, Athena. Once upon a time Nico had been envious of Annabeth because he had a crush on Percy, but he was past that now. Fancying someone of the same gender didn't matter to the residents of Half-Blood City, as each merman was able to reproduce just as well as mermaids. They were all gender-equal under the sea.

* * *

><p>Nico, Percy and Annabeth were hanging around <em>The Apollo <em>again. They'd all just come back from a quest into the wider ocean and they'd been given three days off before they returned to the Academy. Their other friends were going to meet up with them later in New Rome, which was the shopping district.

"I want to have another look," Nico suddenly said. Percy and Annabeth glanced at him.

"Where?" Annabeth demanded. "In Percy's room? You _know _that's a bad idea."

"Hey!" Percy objected. He pouted at his girlfriend. Annabeth smirked at him and waved a hand, bubbles flying off her fingers.

"Where did you want to look, Nico," she repeated. Nico pointed up at the ship.

"At the surface," he replied. His cheeks blushed a light pink as he continued, "it's a lot prettier during the day."

Percy grinned at him and made a begging motion with his hands.

"Yes, yes, yes! Please, Annabeth!" He started swimming circles around the daughter of Athena and she crossed her arms.

"Mum says that the boat's a bad sign," she said. Nico groaned. He'd heard this before. Like, fifty times. "It's been anchored in the reef for over a week now and the people are getting suspicious."

"Of what. They're probably just those human soldier guys again," Nico argued. Annabeth shook her head.

"Or they're on the other end of the scale," she said. "They could be pirates."

"Well we wouldn't know, would we?" Nico retorted. "We've only ever been up to check it out at night!"

Annabeth sighed.

"They could be hunters," she said wearily. Percy's head was going back and forth between his girlfriend and his best friend and only now did he break in.

"Then they're a threat, right?" he asked. "And as heroes it's our duty to get rid of them."

"Percy, we're on leave," Annabeth reminded him.

"Fine then." Percy threw his hands up through the water. "Let's play Touch-Tail instead."

Nico wasn't ready to let go of the subject, but no merman, maid or teen could turn down a game of Touch-Tail. It was basically gang-up tag where you had to flick another player's tail to make them 'it'.

"Sure," Annabeth agreed. Nico nodded as his way of approving and he suddenly dove down and brushed his fingers against Percy's fins.

"You're up!" he crowed, before he started racing off. Percy howled in annoyance and sped off after him, his tail flapping madly to catch up. Nico smirked over his shoulder as Percy slowly started gaining on him.

Suddenly finding himself with a burst of speed, Nico felt the water shred over his body as he unexpectedly changed directions, heading for the surface. He'd gone far enough away from the ship so he couldn't be seen by the naked eye. Nico felt his head break through the top of the water, followed by his torso and then tail. The sea wind greeted him and he closed his eyes happily, drinking it in, before he started falling back to the water. Nico streamlined his body and dove hands-first into the ocean, shooting past Percy and laughing bubbles in his face.

* * *

><p>Captain Will Solace of <em>The Apollo <em>lowered his eyeglass. A wide grin was spreading across his lips as he leant against the edge of the ship.

"They _are _here," he said aloud. His eyes were rooted on the spot where one of the most beautiful creatures he'd ever seen had erupted from the water.

"Jason!" he called over his shoulder, his gaze never leaving the spot. A tall, blond haired boy ran up beside him.

"Yeah, Will?" he asked. Will glanced at his first mate and beamed at him.

"I was right," he said. Jason's face broke into a grin. "Get Lou. We're going to catch ourselves a mermaid."

**I FOUND A TITLE! With help from TridentTattoo and TheBookMouse. And I'm sorry for the crap summary. **

**Three things I have a weakness for is Pirates, mermaids, and Solangelo. So I thought 'hey, let's do all three!' Personally I'm excited. **

**And I also don't know what I'm doing. **

**Jasmine Out!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

**Apollo Sun**

Nico ended up being swamped by Percy and Annabeth ganging up on him. Apparently it wasn't fair of Nico to tag Percy. Nico didn't think fair came into it and Percy's pride just couldn't handle being surprised. Being one of the greatest heroes of Half-Blood City had its moments.

Sufficiently tired and ready to float down for a nice chat, Percy, Nico and Annabeth headed back to the body of water underneath _The Apollo. _The boats shadow had quickly become the three's favourite hang-out.

Bubbles blobbed out of Percy's mouth as he yawned. Nico rolled his eyes and swished his tail through the water. The current smacked Percy's cheek and burst the rising air. Annabeth chuckled at them as Percy flicked his hand and sent Nico spinning away. Being a son of Poseidon, controller of the currents, Percy had a power over water. It made for some interesting fights since they were virtually surrounded by the stuff.

Nico's tumble sent him closer to the ship.

"It is on, Jackson!" he called, flapping his tail fluke to straighten himself out before raising his hands. But nothing happened.

Nico then found out it's very difficult to concentrate on shadows when the sea all around you amplifies a sound that, for all the world, could be a million birds shrieking in high pitch.

* * *

><p>Will quickly took his fingers out of his mouth. His crew unplugged their ears and set to work immediately.<p>

Will Solace was a son of the god Apollo. A pretty blessed son, too. He was good-looking, like his father, with blond hair and bright blue eyes and a killer tan. His abilities included archery, vitakinesis – meaning he could heal people by singing to them – a variety curses and a small power to manipulate light.

But his favourite was a skill he called audiokinesis.

Will could make a sharp, painful whistle sound that will stun any being who heard it. It was that that had just frozen the three mermaids below his ship. Sound travelled through water at an amplified rate, so they wouldn't be able to move for a good while.

Will knew there was at least one mermaid closer to _The Apollo _than the rest. It was this one he intended to catch.

Running to the side of the ship, Will leant over and raised his hands past his head. The sun, high above him, started beating down with extreme force on the one spot Will could see was darker than the rest of the ocean. The ray of light slimmed and concentrated, eventually lighting up a figure at least ten meters below the surface. Will could see that the blurry figure had its arms up, like he was. Vaguely wondering what that was about, Will called over his shoulder.

"Everyone, move! There's one just next to the boat, about ten meters deep. Lou, I need you up here!"

Lou Ellen, by some standards a witch, to Will a close friend and magician, ran from her position and stopped beside him. In her hand was a long coil of steel chain, which she had spent the last little while enchanting.

"Do it," Will said, and Lou dropped the metal over the side of the boat, letting it splash into the sea. Then she closed her eyes, held her hands out in front of her, and breathed.

* * *

><p>Nico couldn't move. He couldn't speak. He could barely inhale any water through his gills. Not far away from him, Percy and Annabeth were having the same difficulties. Percy looked wide-eyed at Nico, panic written across his face.<p>

Suddenly a bright white light lit up the sea around Nico. He blinked, stars clustering his vision. He couldn't see out of the brilliant circle that seemed to be encasing him, and he could barely make out the stunned forms of Percy and Annabeth.

A few seconds after the light began, Nico felt his muscles relaxing. Whatever had frozen him was starting to wear off and soon he could swim away from whatever was happening. Nico narrowed his eyes, trying to see Percy more clearly. He saw the sea-green tail of his friend twitch. Their movement was coming back as well.

A little too late though.

The next thing Nico felt was something heavy, cold and metal touch his wrist. He sensed it trail across the back of his hand until he could feel the last links of what he now knew was a chain. Suddenly it started winding around him.

It circled his wrist before dragging his immobile arm through the water. Nico felt the sides of his hands press together tightly as the chain started coiling around them. He couldn't move to stop it.

Then it started snaking down his right arm. It twisted along his skin like a living thing, spiralling past his elbow and his shoulder and eventually going a single loop around his neck before continuing down his chest, wrapping three times until it reached his waist. Now the metal was moving rapidly, twining around and around his tail several times before tying itself off in the neck before his fluke fin.

Nico finally felt feeling crash into him and he tried pulling at the chain, silently demanding it let him the hell go. The only pulling that was working though, was the one that was bodilessly dragging him toward the surface.

"Nico!" Percy yelled, his face finally unfreezing. Nico set his eyes on his two best friends.

"Get out of here!" he shouted at them. "Go! Don't let them get -"

He didn't get to finish. Nico was cut off trying to save the lives of the two people he loved like family by his head breaking through the top water. The last word dripped from his lips like the water running off his body.

"…you."

**Being dramatic is a talent of mine, really. **

**Lol nah. Sorry for breaking your eyes with my writing. **

**Jasmine Out!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: **

**Nico di Angelo**

Up until now, Will Solace had seen the mermaids as a prey that he could hunt. Something to keep as a trophy to display his skill. They were 'its'. All mermaids had extremely potent healing abilities – a single tear could save a man from death. Will wanted to capture one to become one of the most well-known and feared pirates on the seas: he'd be immortal and invincible. Sort of.

But the moment the creature erupted from the water, tangled helplessly in Lou's magic chain, Will felt all his walls crash and morals flood back in. He'd never, _ever, _be able to hurt the thing before him, let alone push it over its breaking point.

It wasn't even an 'it'. It was a _he, _and a really, really beautiful he. With a killer glare.

Will heard a word pass through the pretty thing's lips.

"…you."

At least attempting to collect some of his shattered composure, Will drew his sword and stabbed it into the deck, leaning on it and giving the mermaid- no, mer_man, _a cheerful grin.

"Well, I didn't expect you to know me," he joked. "It's a nice surprise."

He didn't get a reply, but the heat of the glare intensified until Will thought he might spontaneously combust. He vaguely waved a hand at Lou, who understood immediately, and started manipulating the magic steel around the merman to bring him on-board. He flopped onto the deck, his fluke starting to kick. It caught one of Will's crew and sent them flying against the railing. The creature seemed to understand exactly how strong the end of his tail was against humans and started bucking it wider, hitting several more men and women.

Will acted on instinct and drew his sword from the deck before bringing it down point-first. It speared the right side of the merman's fluke and the kicking stopped as suddenly as it began. Will heard a "Tch," of pain from the creature and moved so he was in his line of vision. His smile was slightly smaller.

"Sorry," he apologised. "But I need my friends' conscious so we can leave."

The merman's eyes seemed to widen a fraction and Will nodded gravely.

"Afraid so." He answered the question that wasn't asked. "We got what we came for – that's you, by the way, pretty boy – so now we'll be going."

To his surprise the creature blushed, his cheeks glowing a faint pink as he stared at Will with eyes such a rich dark chocolate colour the pirate Captain would swear up and down they were reading his soul.

Will abruptly pulled his sword out of the merman's tail and waved to Lou and Jason, who had been standing behind him when their catch flippered half his crew.

"Get him in the trench," he ordered, and the two walked slowly forward. The merman immediately zeroed in on them and growled primaly, wordlessly daring them to take one more step towards him. Lou and Jason exchanged looks before holding their hands out to the merman. Will watched as Lou's chain tightened again and started lifting the half-human off the deck. Jason twirled his fingers and a wind started up underneath their catch, lifting him higher. The two started walking, taking the merman with them, towards the mast, where a trough roughly the same width and height of a king sized bed sat. It was filled with sea water and had a canvas cover over it so it wasn't evaporated by the sun and didn't get too hot. Will had thought this through.

Lou and Jason gently eased the merman into the trench, sitting him down in the water. Jason's winds had dried the creature and Will could see him even better now that he wasn't totally soaking wet.

Lou finished up by attaching one of the links in the chain around the merman's wrists onto a hook screwed into the mast. Then she loosened her power over it and stepped back with Jason. Will glanced at them for a second.

"Thank you," he said. "Now, prepare to set sail."

They nodded and left. Will turned back to the creature in the trough and was startled to see that it was coughing. As the merman breathed in, the air rattled in his throat and Will jumped forward. He checked the side of the half-human's neck to see the gills had closed up like they were meant to now he was out of water. Then the pirate's eyes fell on the chain still around the merman. It was constricting his windpipe.

Will wrapped his fingers around the cold metal and gently loosened it until he could comfortably fit his hand in the gap between the merman's skin and the chain. Will then leant back and sat on the side of the trench while the half-human got its breath back.

"Sorry," Will apologised sincerely. "That wasn't meant to happen."

His kidnapee glared at him and said nothing. Will took the opportunity to observe his catch.

Just like he'd first thought, the merman was beautiful. His hair looked like soft shadow and his eyes were narrowed dark chocolate. His tail glinted black like Stygian metal and his ear fins flicked slightly in the direction of sound.

For the first time, Will noticed the circlet crown around the others head. He reached out to touch it and his fingers were met with cool black metal and smooth, dark pearls. It was simple but regal.

"Don't tell me," Will whispered. He'd heard legends about this crown, and the one who wore it. A hero of the sea. The human and mermaid worlds were closer than anyone cared to admit. Sailors had often spoken of the Ghost King.

"Well…" Will trailed off. "When I said all those times I'd catch a mermaid, I didn't think I'd land myself with the Prince of Hades."

The merman's eyes widened in surprise and Will grinned again.

"A pleasure to meet you, Nico di Angelo."

***splutters* no that wasn't meant to happen at all. **

**Jasmine Out!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: **

**To Flick a Tail**

Will had always held mermaids in high fascination, and was drawn to them by default. They were pretty, powerful and mythical that those three themes were a constant in Will's life.

But with a merman son of Hades, Nico di Angelo non the less, Will was more drawn to him than he thought he would be. Nico took his constant themes to a whole new level – he was beautiful, devastatingly formidable, and obviously mythical. He was half-fish, after all.

"We need to go right away," Will said to himself, still seated on the deck and studying the merman in front of him. Nico stared back evenly, his earlier surprise gone to be replaced by stony silence.

"You're not much of a talker, are you?" Will asked, smiling at the merman. Nico's reply was a tightening of his lips and no words.

"Lou!" Will yelled, not looking away from the black haired creature in the tub. "We ready to set sail?"

"Ready when you are, Captain!" was her reply. "We're headed for the mainland. Will you be taking the wheel, or should Jason?"

Will thought it over for a second, and then Nico's tail scales flashed in his face and made the decision for him.

"Jason can steer," he told her. "He can boost the winds to get us to Jupiter City faster."

Nico seemed to be following their conversation, his head turning slowly between Will and Lou. At the mention of Jason being able to boost the winds, his eyes narrowed. Lou disappeared and directed Jason to the helm, where the blond took the large wheel and started spinning it. Will observed Nico watching all this with morbid fascination.

"Have you seen a ship before, Nico?" Will asked, resting his chin on his hands. Nico's dark eyes flicked away from Jason to Will. His tail waved in the trench water calmly as he turned his nose up at the question. Will pouted.

"Oh come on," he whined. "You can talk to me, I'm not a bad person!"

Nico gave him a haughty glare.

"Alright, I'm somewhat bad," Will admitted. "But I'm only bad to bad people, see? That makes me a good person."

The glare intensified.

"Oh wait wait," Will amended. "I'm not saying _you're _bad. I mean that- you know what? Forget it."

There was silence for a moment, filled with hostility from Nico and awkwardness from Will. This wasn't exactly how he'd imagined his triumph. Will stretched back against the deck and laid down.

"Before," he started, "those two other mermaids. They were your friends, right?"

No response. Not that he was expecting one.

"I hate to be the dream-crusher Nico, I really do, but they're not coming for you. You're not going to be rescued."

Will didn't even bother looking up at the sound of the merman drawing breath. He didn't think much of it.

"I don't need help escaping anyone."

Will froze where he lay, his eyes starting to bulge out of their sockets in genuine shock. He sat up slowly, his gaze locking on the merman in the tub and not wavering. It couldn't have been anyone else who'd spoken; Will knew all his crew's voices. His eyes met Nico's and Will felt his mouth drop open.

Nico had a really pretty voice. All dark and mysterious and hero-y.

"So you do talk," he managed. "Geez, I was wondering if you'd gone mute."

Nico sighed, apparently done with giving the silent treatment, and ready to unleash his skill with the human language.

"Gone mute?" he repeated sarcastically. "I might have _been _mute for all you knew."

Will shook his head.

"You said something before," he reminded the merman. "When you came out of the water."

"When I _came out _of the water?" Nico repeated, the words barbed. Will made a face.

"When we _kidnapped_ you from the water then," he said. "Happy?"

"No."

"I think I preferred it when you didn't talk, di Angelo." Will crossed his arms, vaguely annoyed. Nico widened his eyes in cynical horror.

"I don't know exactly it translates to human, but we have a saying among the mer-people and I think it goes something like, 'You got what you got'." His tail flapped weakly in the water, throwing dots of light around the canvas. "Deal with me."

Will tipped his head to the side, thinking.

"This conversation's gone off track," he decided. "What I want to talk about is how you think you'll be able to escape _The Apollo." _

Nico gave him a withering look.

"What I want to talk about," he parroted, "is how you think you'll be able to stop me."

Will's eyes narrowed as he scanned Nico over again.

"I don't know about you," the blond said, tapping the metal wrapped around the merman's fluke, "but this looks like it's stopping you pretty solidly."

Nico scowled, his eyes glittering dangerously. His tail fins splashed the water in the trench, slapping Will's hand and showering him in droplets. Will withdrew hurriedly, inspecting the angry red colour already rising on him wrist.

"That was low," he decided, rubbing his wet palm against his tunic. Nico raised his eyebrows.

Will ignored the merman's expression and stepped away slightly, raising his arms in the air, towards the sun. He felt the midday heat start beating down on him harder and harder, complete yellow rays of light starting to twirl down from the sky and surround him. Barely minutes later and the light retracted back into the air, leaving Will looking almost exactly the same, minus the hand-print of water on his shirt and the mass of droplets on his clothes and skin. He was dry. Completely dry.

Nico tried to hide his astonishment, but Will saw the shock on the merman's face and grinned.

"Son of Hades, meet the son of Apollo," he announced. Nico's eyes went wide, for real this time.

"Son of Apollo?" he repeated. "But… that's not poss-"

"Captain!"

Will looked up at the sound of Jason's voice, staring over the top deck and to the helm where his first mate was. Jason was with someone else from the crew – a bulky, muscled boy named Butch. There was a shimmer in the air beside him.

"Iris message for you! From- well, come and find out."

* * *

><p>Percy and Annabeth hadn't been able to do anything for Nico in their frozen state. In the end, they both watched helplessly as the ship that their friend was on started away, moving at an accelerated rate of several knots. Impressive for a stand-still beginning.<p>

But Percy and Annabeth were far from impressed and as soon as whatever spell they were under wore off, Percy shot through the water, propelled by his powers as he chased after _The Apollo. _

"Percy!" Annabeth called after him. "Percy, stop!"

"They took Nico, Annabeth!" Percy shouted, his voice panicked and angry. "We have to get him back!"

"What're you going to do, Percy?" she yelled sarcastically. "Sink the ship? That could hurt Nico too – we don't know where they're keeping him!"

Percy slowed down, if only a little.

"That's my best friend on there, Annie!" he raged, more at the pirates than Annabeth. "The closest thing I have to a brother and proper family. You might as well have just cut off my right fin."

Annabeth caught up to her boyfriend and wrapped her arms around him, cold, slightly scaled skin touching soothingly.

"Percy," she said softly, "I know how you feel. Nico's my best friend, the closest thing _I _have to a brother and proper family as well. But we have to think about this." She gave him a calming kiss on the forehead. "Let's go and find Chiron. We'll get an audience with the council, and they can decide how to rescue Nico."

Slightly sated, Percy allowed his girlfriend to lead him away from the surface and deep into the sea, towards where Half-Blood City lay concealed.

They ignored the road that would have taken them to New Rome, where they were meant to be meeting their friends. Thalia would be angry, but there wasn't much they could do about it. She'd understand once they explained.

They reached the Academy quickly, and all but brushed off inquiring peers as they raced to Chiron's office, known as the Big House.

"Chiron!" Percy shouted, throwing the door open. "We need a meeting with the council, _now!" _

**I HAVE A PLOT I HAVE A PLOT I HAVE A PLOT YAY! Sort of. But it's something! **

**Sorry for not updating sooner. Life, you know? But thanks to everyone who followed, favourited and reviewed – I honestly didn't expect so many and just wow. Really, thank you all. **

**I'll try not to be so long next time. **

**Jasmine Out!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Threats from Mermen**

The first thing Will noticed about the Iris Message was that everything was underwater. The second thing he noticed was that his callers had tails instead of legs. And they all looked very angry.

"You're not Nico," one of them said. He was tanned, muscled and really very pretty, with floating black hair and vivid green eyes. He had a seaweed belt around his waist and a sword hung from it. Will smirked and did a sweeping bow. Rival banter was his area.

"No, I'm not," he agreed. "I'm Will Solace, Captain of _The Apollo. _How's it going?"

"You're the pirate," another one said. This one was a girl, with blond hair and rain-cloud grey eyes. Will nodded.

"Indeed I am."

"You kidnapped Nico!" the first boy accused, lunging for the Iris screen. The message shook in the air as the blond mermaid and an older merman held the black haired boy back.

"Indeed I did."

The pretty boy merman snarled at him.

"What have you done to him?" he growled, trying to get away from his two companions holding him back. Will put on a hurt expression.

"I haven't done anything!" he protested.

"Let us see him," the blond mermaid demanded, glaring at Will. He put a lot of effort into not quailing under her gaze.

"Why should I?" he said. The older merman holding the black haired boy back moved closer. Will noticed he and the one trying to attack him through the Iris Message looked almost the same.

"Do you know what you've done, exactly?" he asked Will. "Do you know whom you have taken?"

Will studied the merman. His short beard was black, same with his hair, and his face and torso were tanned and muscular. Across his chest he wore a sash of fish-net silk, and in his hair was a rather large, green-gemstone-studded crown. There were silver markings at the edges of his bright green eyes. Will had an inkling idea of who he was talking to, and he smiled.

"Lord Poseidon, right?" he asked, and the merman's brow furrowed. "To answer you, yes, I know what I've done and who I have. Nico di Angelo isn't as secret as you merpeople'd like to believe."

Will closed his mouth and smiled then, watching the thrashing relation of Poseidon slow down and stare at the pirate. Will stared back. The boy glared. Will glared. It was obvious they weren't going to get along.

"What kind of mortal are you?" Poseidon growled, his fists clenching. "Why-"

"-can't you touch my ship?" Will finished for him. "Why am I able to detain a Prince of Hades? Bit slow on the uptake, Poseidon." Will flashed a cocky-ass grin at the three merpeople in the Iris Message.

"What kind of mortal am I?" he repeated, tapping his chin. "Simple." He shrugged. "I'm not mortal."

Everyone on the underwater side of the call went still.

"The rule of the gods," Will started, "is that they cannot interfere with demigod business. This," he gestured around, "is demigod business."

As a move of severe maturity, Will stuck his tongue out.

"This ship is captained by a human son of Apollo, with a daughter of Hecate and son of Zeus as his first-mates and a crew of half-bloods on board. There is a merman son of Hades currently decorating the mast." Will took a deep breath. "Point of the argument: you can't touch us."

The he gave a cheery wave and swiped through the Iris Message, saying as he did so, "Say hi to dad for me!"

The image started fading, but not before the green-eyed merman shouted again.

"I'm coming after you, Solace!"

Will sighed in exasperation. Next to him, Butch and Jason were shaking their heads, twin smiles on their faces.

"Your diplomacy always astounds me, Captain Solace," Butch teased. Jason nodded solemnly. Will pouted as he started to walk away and back down the stairs.

"You shut up," he ordered Butch, and the large son of Iris gave a mock salute before springing away back to whatever it was he was doing before he intercepted the Iris Message meant for Nico.

Will reached the bottom of the staircase and made his way back to the cover his merman captive was under. He frowned as he approached. It was midday, the shadows should have been that dark under the canvas.

That's when Will hit himself in the face and ran for the mast.

A son of Hades. Why didn't he even think of this before.

When Will rounded the plastic corner, he almost panicked.

Nico was waving his fingers around and concentrating. Shadows were starting to peel off the wall, and Nico looked like he was bleeding into them. Next to his eyes, sharp markings were appearing – black curls and lines. He was using his powers to escape, and it looked like it was working. Will shuddered to think about the damage he could have done if Lou's chain wasn't enchanted and it wasn't wrapped heavily around the merman.

Will acted quickly, flinging his arms over his head and calling on the sun. A narrow beam came to him again, and he bent the sunlight into a pliable ball of bright yellow before throwing it into the canvas room. The shadows immediately retreated, wailing mournfully to their Prince as the light burned them away. Nico swung his head around and glared at Will.

"Good try," Will said, his customary grin back on his face. The merman just stared harder.

"Who was the Iris Message from?" he demanded. Will mulled it over in his head whether or not he should answer.

"Your friend," he said finally. "The one with the green eyes. And Poseidon."

"Percy," Nico blurted, and then bit his lip and scowled. Will raised his eyebrow.

"Percy," he said, tasting the name. He didn't like it as much as he liked the sound of Nico though.

"What did he want?"

Will sat down and leaned against the trench where Nico lay.

"To threaten me," he said simply. "Demand to see you, yell, wonder what I'd done to you." He shrugged. "The usual, I suppose."

To his surprise, Nico smiled. It was small and malicious, but he smiled.

"Invoked the wrath of Perseus," he hummed, his tail swishing happily. "This ship'll have a hole in it by tomorrow."

Will peeked over the edge of the tub at Nico.

"You think so?" he asked. Nico gave him a haughty look.

"I know so," he replied icily. "No one's made an enemy of Percy and gotten away."

"I bet no one's made an enemy of you and gotten away either," Will said, resting his arms on the side of the wooden trough and gazing up at the merman. Nico's eye twitched.

"True," he bit out. "And you're no exception."

Will's head fell to the side and he smiled lazily. He gathered his feet under him and stood, making for the exit.

"I look forward to it," he said.

**The subtext flirting here is making me laugh. **

**I'm pretty sure the next chapter is uncovering WHO exactly the gods are in this. I hope it won't mess up. **

**And I really didn't expect my story to get this much attention WOW thank you! **

**Jasmine Out!**


End file.
